


Mission: Honeypot

by roe87



Series: A Working Relationship (Battle Husbands) [3]
Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bearded Steve Rogers, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Fluff, Grumpy Bucky Barnes, Honeypot, Humor, Jealous Bucky Barnes, M/M, Making Up, Old Married Couple, Post-Black Panther (2018), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Sassy Steve Rogers, Sulking, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 21:12:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16103897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roe87/pseuds/roe87
Summary: A new mission requires Steve to go undercover as a honeypot, and Bucky finds himself getting jealous.





	Mission: Honeypot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [esaael](https://archiveofourown.org/users/esaael/gifts), [tigrislilium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigrislilium/gifts).



> Happy Birthday Esaael and Cherry! <3
> 
>  
> 
> ~

 

"Heads up," Steve said, tapping on his phone. "A new lead from Okoye."

Bucky, in the middle of eating a plum, said with his mouth full, "Where?"

"Got the coordinates now," Steve said, and headed across the Quinjet to the pilot's chair where Romanov was.

Bucky carried on eating. He finished his plum and licked his fingers one by one, smacking his lips noisily to annoy Wilson, seated nearby.

The Quinjet changed course, and Steve came back to sit with them. "Nat can drop one of us off to pick up Intel from this new lead. The rest of us need to continue on course to that A.I.M. base."

"Great time for Barton to be laid up with a broken leg," Bucky said. "What's the solo mission?"

"Um..." Steve cleared his throat, reading from his phone, "We need a young-ish white, blond male to pose as a horny trucker type, and flirt with the target to get Intel on her brother."

Bucky let out a laugh, and even Wilson raised an eyebrow.

"So, a honeypot?" Wilson guessed.

"Honeypot, my ass," Bucky said. "This has gotta be a joke. Okoye is pulling your leg."

"It's legit," Steve said with a shrug. "It's a perfect Barton job, actually, but since he's out, it's gotta be one of us."

"Rather you than me," Wilson said with a chuckle.

Bucky looked pointedly at Steve. "Well, obviously it's gotta be me."

Steve gave him a bemused look in response. "Excuse me, you're not a blond."

"So, I'll wear a wig," Bucky said. "I'm the best undercover here."

In the cockpit, Romanov cleared her throat.

"Best undercover _man_ here," Bucky amended.

"Sorry, Buck." Steve grinned. "We don't have a blond wig on board and we can't exactly stop off at a wig store to buy you one. Plus, the list of requirements also states a _full_ _beard_." He ran a hand over his beard, looking smug. "And I have the best one."

Bucky cursed his decision to trim his stubble down yesterday. "I still have a beard," he argued.

"It's stubble at best," Wilson pointed out. "And it's really dark brown, Barnes. You'd look stupid with a blond wig."

"Which we don't have anyway," Steve said.

"Then I'll wear a hat," Bucky suggested.

Steve raised an eyebrow at him. "Why don't I just do it? You'll be more help to Nat and Sam on the A.I.M. mission anyway."

"Oh, really," Bucky retorted. "Steve, you're terrible at undercover. Someone would have to be pretty stupid to not recognise you instantly."

Steve gestured to his beard again. "This has worked pretty good so far. And my hair's longer too. I'll be fine. Besides, I'm the only blond here."

Romanov cleared her throat again.

"I mean, I'm the only blond man here," Steve said. "I'm doing it."

"Ugh, fine." Bucky gave in. "Try not to get embarrassed and mess it up."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Steve laughed.

 

 

Admittedly, Steve did have the better undercover look for the part: all he had to do was change into his own civvies of blue jeans, white t-shirt, a red flannel shirt, and a ball cap. He looked like a hot truck-stop lurker already.

Bucky checked the comms line for Steve, confirming he could hear him. Bucky would listen in after they dropped Steve off in rural Kentucky, while they continued on to Georgia.

Bucky didn't like leaving Steve, but this was a relatively low risk Intel gather only. All he had to do was identify his (civilian) target, get her talking and then ply her for information on her known associates.

 

 

~

 

 

The thing was...

The thing was, Bucky noted with some degree of annoyance, Steve was actually really good.

And Bucky had to listen to it all in his earpiece: Steve finding the target in a quiet country bar, buying her drinks and chatting her up.

Of course Steve couldn't get drunk because of the serum, but he did a pretty good job of faking it, acting tipsy while he flirted with the target and got her talking.

Bucky was now on sniper duty outside of the A.I.M. base, gripping his rifle and staying perfectly still. He listened to both channels on his comms at the same time, which was mostly radio silence from Romanov and Wilson as they infiltrated the base, and then Steve murmuring softly on the other line.

Steve's target laughed happily and murmured back, clearly receptive to his advances. (And, really, Bucky thought irritably, who _wouldn't_ be receptive to Steve?)

Bucky couldn't do anything about it either, he couldn't move from his sniper's position. He couldn't even roll his eyes at hearing Steve's cheesy pick up lines, because he was peering through his rifle's crosshairs and he had to keep watch. Bucky had to bite his tongue so he didn't mutter under his breath, too. Steve wouldn't hear him, but Romanov and Wilson would.

All he could do was sit there and fume.

 

It was when things went quiet on Steve's end that Bucky got _really_ annoyed, his imagination running wild.

What were they _doing?_

And did Steve have to put so much effort in? Seriously? He'd complimented the target so much that Bucky was positive the woman's blush came through over comms. Like, seriously.

There was a soft murmur over the line, and Bucky tensed.

Dammit, Steve, he thought. Wrap it up already.

When Wilson's voice came in to request backup, Bucky leapt at the chance. He got up and ran to the base, all guns out. He found Wilson trying to keep A.I.M. agents away from Romanov, so Bucky started picking them off to thin out the herd.

Romanov was busy downloading encrypted data from the mainframe, and setting explosives. Wilson set an explosive too, and when the timers were set, they all had to run for it.

Bucky punched a few rogue agents on his way out, with his metal arm, taking his frustrations out on them.

The team managed to get clear as the base blew, then they contained any remaining agents trying to flee from the scene.

Bucky heard Steve's flirty laughter in his ear again, and he snarled viciously as he picked up two A.I.M. agents and banged their heads together.

"Time to go," Romanov said, leading the way back to their jet.

Bucky kicked at an agent on the ground, still mad.

"Barnes," Wilson called. "Now!"

 

 

It wasn't like Bucky was _mad_ at Steve. Of course he wasn't mad at Steve.

When they picked Steve up in the Quinjet and he hopped on all buoyed and smiling from a successful Intel gather, Bucky was proud of him.

Wilson congratulated Steve on getting what they'd needed, even Romanov nodded her head in agreement. Although they teased Steve a little about being a honeypot, but they didn't have a lot of ammunition because they hadn't been listening in like Bucky had.

And thank God, otherwise they'd probably never stop with the teasing.

Bucky normally would've leapt to Steve's defense, too, but this time he didn't know what to say about his boyfriend being a honeypot (and a very successful one at that) so he pressed his lips together in a thin line as he piloted the jet, and said nothing.

When Steve came over and slipped into the chair next to him with a quiet, "Hey, Buck," he tried his best to remain calm and simply reply, "Hey."

Then Steve being Steve started telling him about the mission and the Intel he'd gotten, so at least Bucky could focus on that instead.

There wasn't a lot they could do with the Intel right now, except report it back to Okoye and see if she wanted it pursued or to just keep tabs for now.

So, it was back to the American safehouse to lay low and await the next mission.

 

 

 

~

 

 

Steve wasn't sure what was up, but Bucky was definitely in a funny mood.

Once Steve realised this, they were already all safely back in the little ranch house they'd been using as a base in middle America.

Clint was laid up on the couch downstairs with his leg. Nat and Sam made snacks in the kitchen and kept him company.

Bucky had gone outside as soon as he'd showered and changed.

Steve didn't exactly need a shower as he hadn't been fighting, so he wandered after Bucky into the yard, and watched him chop logs for a moment.

"Want some company?" Steve asked, unsure if he was being a bother or not.

Bucky wasn't injured, and he hadn't given any indication that the mission had upset him in any way.

Not that Steve was a mind reader, but he hoped nothing had upset him. Bucky wasn't good at vocalising things like that.

Judging from the precise, smooth way Bucky split log after log on the chopping block, Steve couldn't decide if he was just trying to unwind after the mission, or if something had bothered him.

Bucky didn't pause at Steve's question, didn't even look over at him.

"You offering?" he retorted, his words clipped.

Steve's eyebrows twitched in surprise.

Okay, whatever it was, Bucky was mad at him.

Steve watched him split another log, and cautiously stayed where he was. Bucky in a bad mood was one thing, but Bucky in a bad mood and holding an axe was quite another.

"I can go if you'd prefer?" Steve asked.

Bucky split another log, stopping only to push stray wisps of hair off his face that'd come out of his hair-tie.

"Do what you want," he said, words still clipped.

Steve hesitated, wondering what he'd done wrong. "Um. Do I need to apologise for something?"

Bucky shot him a glare. "I don't know. Do you?"

Oh, Steve thought, realisation dawning.

He recognised the signs now. Bucky was sulking.

"This is about the U.C.," Steve said, being direct.

Bucky turned away, back to his logs. He split the next one with way more force than necessary.

Yep, it was about the undercover, Steve thought.

"Buck, what's up," Steve said, risking a step closer. "Are you mad because I did it?"

"I'm not mad," Bucky said testily, as he grabbed another log. He swung the axe high and split the log clean in half.

Steve eyed that axe warily. "Can we talk, then?"

Thankfully Bucky paused, twisting the axe over in his hands. "What's to talk about?"

"I don't know," Steve said softly, and took another step closer. "You tell me. Have I upset you?"

Bucky didn't answer, but he swung the axe down into the chopping block, lodging it firmly in the wood.

Steve gulped.

"Why would I be upset?" Bucky asked, bending down to scoop up his logs.

Steve thought that over, and decided to go with the only obvious answer. "Because I had to flirt with the target?"

Bucky huffed, and took his armful of logs over to the little porch where the log pile was. He tossed them down angrily.

Okay, that was a yes, Steve thought.

He followed behind Bucky, and tried really hard not to let a smile sneak onto his face. "Buck, are you jealous?"

Bucky turned around, and instead of the glare Steve was expecting, Bucky now had his poker face on.

"Why would I be jealous," he said, suddenly very neutral.

Steve saw right through it, and stepped in close to Bucky like he was about to hug him. Bucky huffed and shrugged him off, making Steve chuckle.

"Aw, I'm flattered," he teased, as Bucky stomped away.

Steve followed him. "Buck. C'mon, Buck. Stop sulking. You know you're my best guy."

"Leave me alone," Bucky snapped.

So much for the poker face.

"Aw, Buck. C'mon." Steve trailed behind him. "It was only for the Intel."

Bucky walked back to the logs, picked more up. "Yeah, and you did a swell job."

Steve spread his hands and asked, "Would you rather I did a bad job?"

Bucky took his logs to the log pile. Steve stayed where he was, set his hands on his hips and sighed lightly.

When Bucky returned, Steve asked, "Are you really mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad," Bucky snapped, picking up logs. "Like you said, it was for Intel only."

"That's right," Steve said.

Bucky left again, and Steve waited for him to come back before saying, "I watch you do missions like this, too, y'know."

Bucky stopped, and looked at him with honest confusion. "What're you saying, Rogers?"

"I'm saying," Steve said calmly, "I felt jealous too. But I know it doesn't mean anything when you're undercover."

Bucky's dark brows drew together in a frown. "Seriously? You're saying you were jealous?"

"Of course I was," Steve told him. "Why wouldn't I be jealous hearing my best guy flirt with someone else? I just, you know, kept telling myself it was only acting, it was for the mission. And I mostly got over it."

"Mostly?"

Steve smirked at that. "Well, yeah." He stepped in a little closer, settling his hands on Bucky's hips to pull him in. "Maybe after those missions I might've fucked you harder than normal," he murmured near Bucky's ear. "Reminded you that you're mine."

"Oh," Bucky breathed quietly, and pressed in close to Steve. "I-I didn't know."

"It's okay." Steve pulled Bucky into an embrace, and kissed the side of his head. "I know you're mine. And you know I'm yours, right?"

Bucky nodded, and wrapped his arms around Steve too. "Yeah, I know. Sorry, I just... got mad."

Steve chuckled lightly. "What do you say we take a long walk in the woods before dinner?"

Bucky pulled back to grin at him. "Steven Grant Rogers. Are you propositioning me?"

"Sure am." Steve took Bucky's hand in his, and led him towards the treeline. "Better than doing it in the house right now, everyone's complained we make too much noise."

"That's why we need our _own_ safehouse," Bucky said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Here is a [rebloggable post](https://jro616.tumblr.com/post/178482116580/mission-honeypot-by-roe87-length) on tumblr for this fic.
> 
>  
> 
> This series is smol oneshots, and yes I am open to prompts!
> 
> Leave a comment or come talk to me on [tumblr](http://jro616.tumblr.com).


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